Losing It

"What have you discovered while I've been out?"

"I like this deal even less. There is something dodgy about this company."

"In what way?"

"Well there seems to be an awful lot of unexplained capital floating through their books. They seem to be able to draw on funds when they need it but there has been no explanation of where it has come from and no record of restitution. If I didn't know better I'd suspect a laundering operation. On their current budget they have no way of funding the twenty percent need for this deal to go ahead, so I'm wondering from which hat they are going to magically produce it."

"It certainly warrants looking in to. By the way, I saw Emily downstairs in the parking garage."

"Who?"

"Emily, you know, your wife Emily."

"But she said . . . What was she doing?"

"She was arguing with some guy. He was in the shadows so I couldn't see who it was."

"Did you happen to hear what it was about?"

"He was asking her if she had said anything to you that would explain your reluctance to sign the papers. She denied it of course, and he told her that unless she could convince you to change your mind she can forget about getting any money from her father's will."

"I wonder why, if she was here, she didn't come in to see me?"

"When I told reception that you were not to be disturbed, I told them that this meant anyone and everyone, so I guess that they were just doing their job."

"And I guess that I might be in for some trouble when I get home tonight."

"I could suggest that you don't go home but I won't, we are not going there."

"That's what I like about you, you can say whatever you like to me and I know that nothing will ever happen. I seem to recall some of our conversations that, if it were anyone else, would have ended up in court with one or more of us being charged with sexual harassment. Stuff like that taken out of the context of a relationship can give anyone overhearing it the wrong impression."

"You haven't lost all of your short-term memory, obviously."

"I seem to be remembering more and more as time goes by, which raises a question I should ask of my doctor." I took a card from my wallet and dialled a number. "Could I speak to Doctor Neill please? It's Graham Willoughby." A pause while the cause was put through. "Doctor, I was wondering if you'd received my blood test results back yet. You have, was there anything unusual about the tox screen?" Another pause while he cranked up my records on his computer. "I thought as much. This drug, would it have any effect on my brain function, something like inducing a short-term memory loss with the side benefit of me being susceptible to suggestions? Thank you, that's what I wanted to know, Oh and how long would the effects of this last?" I hung up. "It would seem that the drug is wearing off which explains why I'm remembering more."

"That's good, now you won't be doing anything stupid that will cost you lots of money."

"I'd better get back to this or I'll never get through all of this today."

Isobel reached over and took half of the papers from in front of me. "Two heads and two sets of eyes are better than one, quicker at least."

It was some time late in the afternoon when I paused and stared at the page in front of me. "What is it?" Isobel asked.

"I must have a devious mind to think of this but, where do we get most of our orange juice concentrate from?"

"Brazil." Her expression changed from puzzled to enlightened. "And what else is grown in South America?"

"Columbian nose candy, blow, whatever you might call it, cocaine. And what better way to import it than to dissolve it in orange juice, concentrate it and freeze it. When it gets here it is thawed, reconstituted and the drug extracted. The same can be done with pseudoephedrine."

"So what are we going to do about this?"

"We are going to speak to the AFP (Australian Federal Police) about this. Could you get on the phone and work your way up to someone with enough clout to take notice of what we have to tell him."

It took time, much of which was on hold, but she eventually got through to an Inspector Roberts who took her seriously enough to arrange an appointment to see us in the morning.

"How was your day?" It was a completely different person that met me at my front door when I got home.

"Interesting to say the least. I have decided that I will not be seeing Doctor Hendricks again."

"Oh, why?"

"Because he has been plying me with drugs that have affected my memory and brain function, that's why."

"Oh."

"That's all you can say, just 'oh'."

"What do you expect me to say, I know nothing of medicine. Why would he do that?"

"To get me to do something that, under normal circumstances, I would have no hesitation in rejecting. You seem to have a high opinion of him, and why would that be?"

"I hardly know him."

"But you know him well enough to have a blazing row with him."

"What are you talking about?"

"The two of you were seen and overheard having a row in the parking garage at work this morning. I want to know what that was about, and what does your father have to do with all of this?"

I could see in her eyes that she was struggling with the decision that she was going to have to make.

"If it helps you to make up your mind, I believe that this whole thing revolves around drugs. I don't know what your father has to do with drugs, he may have nothing to do with them, directly that is, and it could be that he is being used as leverage to get you to do something to force me to do something that I don't want to do. The last thing that I want to do is to put you and your father in a situation where either or both of you might get hurt, so if you will tell me all then I, we, can make a decision that will hopefully save the day. What do you say?"

"I don't know, I'm scared, he's not a nice man, you do realise that, don't you?"

"I sort of gathered that. But I can't help you unless you want me to."

It took a while for her to make up her mind to tell me what was happening. "You probably know that Dad has a gambling problem. We thought that he had it under control until recently when he managed to get in over his head at the casino. I don't know what Hendrick's connection with the casino is, but he approached me and told me that he could make Dad's debt go away if I would help him by persuading you to sell your importing company to a company that he is associated with. I didn't want to do it but he kept putting more and more pressure on me. I didn't agree to anything until after you ended up in hospital, it was then that I realise that something even worse would happen to you unless I agreed to help him. I did as he said, but with one exception."

"That was when you told me that your name was Hannah and not Emily. You knew that when I eventually regained enough memory to pick up on that, I would investigate the deal."

"I hoped that you would pick up on that, plus the dodgy suit that I bought at an op shop to replace the one you were wearing, it had blood all over it. The argument this morning was about the fact that you hadn't signed the paperwork yet, apparently he has a shipment of juice already loaded and needs you to sign the company over before it gets here."

"I want you to come with me to work in the morning, we are having a meeting with the AFP and I think that your input will be invaluable."

"So what he's planning is illegal, is that it?"

"I believe so, and I want to distance myself from any involvement, and to do that I need you. This will also help you and your father get free of his clutches."

"So you don't blame me for doing what I've done?"

"What was it that you did? I don't seem to recall you doing anything other than try to protect your father and your husband, that's me by the way." I kissed her just to remind her of that fact.

"Does that mean we get to play tonight?" She kissed me and her hand slipped between us and she grabbed him.

"We'll see. Are you going to feed me?"

"Shit, I forgot all about dinner, it'll probably be burnt to a crisp." She scurried into the kitchen and opened the oven to be surrounded by a cloud of smoke. Grabbing a pot holder she dragged a baking dish from the oven and quickly placed it on the stove top. Once the smoke cleared, and after I'd disabled the smoke alarm, she declared that all wasn't lost. She removed the vegetables from the dish, placed them on a plate and covered them with foil and placed them back into the oven to warm while the succulent pork roast, with its impressively crisp looking crackling, rested to retain the juices. She then nuked some broad beans in the microwave followed by apple sauce. "To quote those celebrity chef wannabes, "I'm now ready to plate up. Would you carve?" She handed me the carving knife and fork.

It was a pleasant enough meal, don't get me wrong, the food was great, pumpkin tastes really sweet when it's been charred on the outside, it was just that both of us had things on our minds. These things also tempered any attempts that we might have had to satisfactory love-making. After half an hour of trying we both gave up dis-satisfied.

Roberts was a tall, spare man with greying hair and a permanent frown. "Mister Willoughby, I am intrigued by what your PA told me yesterday, and a name that she mentioned increased my interest. What is your connection with this Doctor Hendricks?"

"He was the doctor that I was referred to following my incident up at the Cross last week. I was to later find out that he was slipping me drugs designed to induce me to sign over a part of my business group. I also learned that he had a significant connection with the company interested in taking over mine. Now, apart from the criminal charges that I would like to see laid against him for my assault I didn't have anything against him until his involvement in the takeover was revealed. That piqued my curiosity and started me investigating him. His connection with the casino gave him the leverage to force me to sell, and when that was moving too slowly for him I was beaned with a blunt object and the phony story of me being chucked out of a knocking shop into the path of a car was concocted. Unfortunately for him I sought a second medical opinion and am just about clear of the drug that he gave me. Enough so that I began to research him, and I'm not happy with what I've found out, hence this interview."

"What did you find out?" I assumed that he already knew most of what I was about to tell him and was looking for me to confirm his information.

"The first thing the intrigued me was, why would he be interested in my commodities importing company? That was when I realised that a major part of that company imported frozen orange juice concentrate from Brazil. Now it wasn't a huge leap to think that cocaine could be mixed with the juice and shipped here to be later processed and refined. Cartons of frozen juice in a shipping container would stand a good chance of slipping past Customs and you guys, and the profits would be enormous."

"That ties in to the conclusion that we'd reached. Now how far along are the negotiations for the takeover?"

"They have come to a screeching halt. He appears to be getting desperate, it would seem that he has a shipment ready to roll."

"That also ties in with our intelligence. Now, what I would like you to do is to go ahead with the takeover, but delay it for as long as you can. We figure to rush him and hope that he makes a mistake that we can pounce on. What are the financial terms for this sale?"

"He is to come up with twenty percent up front and the balance in instalments. I know that he doesn't have the cash for the initial payment so he will probably ask for a twenty-one day grace period to raise the funds. That would give him the time to get the first shipment in and sold, after that he would be home free. If this works for him he could be on a gold mine."

"You seem to have covered all of the bases. Don't worry about losing your company, after we bust him and he can't make that first payment, the sale will fall through and you'll have your company back."

"I hope so."

He stood up and was already heading for the door when Emily called him back. "Inspector, I don't know if you can help me, but the influence that Hendricks had over me that caused me to help him, concerns my father and some money that he owes the casino. Hendricks told me that the debt would disappear if I did what he wanted. I would like it, if you can arrange it, to disappear."

"We know about that, and the casino will not be pushing for their money back, not after the threats that we've made to them concerning their operator's licence." With a smile and an 'I'll be in touch,' he left.

"Isobel."

"Yes Em?"

"Could you go out to your office and get on the phone and make a restaurant booking for the three of us, and don't look in here for a while."

"How long do you not want to be disturbed for?" She had a smile on her face and I got the impression that the two of them conspired regularly to keep me under control.

Emily pulled my chair back from the desk, spun it around and dropped into my lap. It didn't take long for me to realise that with no worries on my mind I would be able to perform. If it wasn't for the layers of clothing we would have been making love.

The insistent buzzing of the intercom interrupted us. "Okay you two, tidy yourselves up and let's get out of here, I don't know how long they'll hold the reservation." I scrubbed my face to remove her lipstick and Emily repaired the havoc caused by my lips on hers.

After dinner Emily kissed me and looked expectantly at me. "Do we play tonight?"

I looked deep into her eyes and tried hard not to give anything away with my face. After several seconds I could not hold my stern expression any longer. "Oh all right, tonight we play." Before the message had fully sunk in, I grabbed her hand and we literally ran to our bedroom and jumped onto the bed. Sometime in the wee small hours of the morning I cried "Enough already, I need sleep."

This little voice from somewhere under my chin mumbled something like, "Spoilsport." Followed by the slow breathing of sleep.

"A Doctor Hendricks and his business associate are here for their ten o'clock appointment." Isobel said over the intercom.

"Bring them in would you." She led Hendricks and someone who looked about as far from a business associate as I'd ever seen into my office. "Would you transcribe this and have a copy for me in an hour, I need to read it before I have my meeting with Roberts and Associates." I handed her a memory card.

"Certainly sir." She smiled as she left my office. There was nothing on the card but it would be inserted into her computer, and while she typed a load of bullshit, it would record everything said in my office, not entirely legal, just a safety measure.

"I'd like you to meet Peter Horwood, an associate of mine." Horwood held out his hand and tried hard to crush mine, it almost worked. He was tall and tanned, his beard was long and grey and sort of parted in the middle from streaming either side of his face as he tore down the road on his Harley. His impossibly black hair was non-existent on top of his head but had a long plait hanging down his back. He wore a sleeveless leather jacket that displayed his full sleeve ink on both arms at the end of which were thick ring clad fingers. He was of heavy build and the black leather pants were stretched to their limit containing his belly.

"How close are we to a decision on the sale?"

"I have a few concerns regarding finance."

"I'm sure that we can come to some agreement on that." Hendricks said. I didn't like the way that Horwood cracked his knuckles. "What seems to be the problem?"

"I need to factor in the value of the shipment that is ready to come from Brazil. We have already paid for it, and under normal circumstances we could expect a thirty percent profit on its sale in thirty days after delivery. There is a lot of money involved here and I would expect to be compensated for it. Now the way that I see it, we can include that in the sale price, or it can be included in the first repayment. I would prefer the former, but will accept the latter, it's up to you."

A mumbled conference took place, I couldn't understand what was said but was sure that the mike would have picked up every syllable.

"We don't think that you are in any position to make demands." Horwood said, I don't need to say that his manner was threatening.

"Oh, and why would that be?"

"Have you spoken with your father-in-law lately?"

"No, why?"

"It would seem that he is in debt up to his bloodshot eyeballs. Now we have made an offer to your wife to have that debt disappear if the sale goes ahead, if not, certain friends of mine will be contracted to call in that debt, if you get my meaning."

"Why would that bother me, his doctor has given him no more than six months."

"If you don't comply they will be the longest and most painful six months he will have ever experienced, and I'm sure that his pain will be inflicted on you by your beautiful wife who dotes on her father."

"If you must know, my wife and I are heading for a divorce and you think that I give a shit about what happens to her and her father?" So I lied to them. This rattled them a little causing another conference.

Horwood looked at me with a look of pure menace. "If you think that the pain that you suffered the other day was bad, think again, the next load will be much worse."

"Are you threatening me?"

"You would have to be stupid to look at it otherwise, yes it is a threat."

"It looks as if I don't have much of a choice, doesn't it?"

"Now you're being smart. Sign the paperwork and you'll have the initial payment."

I took the file from my in tray and opened it. I signed on the several lines that I had to sign on and pushed it across the desk to Hendricks who took his pen out and signed it. Horwood reached down for the attaché case that Hendricks had brought with him and snapped the locks. The now opened case was full of bundles of banknotes, they seemed to be all $100 denomination notes and if they were it amounted to a lot of money to be carrying around, but then, if you had an 'associate' that looked like Horwood you would feel pretty safe.

Business transacted they left.

"Roberts is on his way over."

"Is this a coincidence or did you have something to do with it?"

"You really are a technology Luddite aren't you? I linked my computer to my phone and relayed the conversation directly to him. He couldn't be happier."

"This is getting better by the day," Roberts said as he sat opposite me, "we have an insider in the casino who told us that Hendricks and some goon collected a large sum of money from the office strongroom, money that is not mentioned in the casino's books. It would seem that there is a considerable amount delivered to the casino on a regular basis and this is held in the strongroom and used to pay out the winners. The cash taken when the punters buy their chips is sent to a separate room where it is counted and bagged. This is picked up by an armoured car each day and taken to the bank. The money that arrives is fed through the casino to the punters when they cash in and then clean money is brought in from the bank to replace the dirty money. The guys that deposited the dirty money then collect the unrecorded clean money from the casino. A sweet setup, and one that will take some proving. We have experts following the paper trail as we speak."

"So what happens now?"

"You do nothing but wait while we prepare for the arrival of the shipment of orange juice, which we will intercept and analyse and hopefully gain a conviction or several."

"But surely, if you confiscate the juice you won't catch the bad guys, they'll head for the hills, or simply deny any knowledge, probably try to blame me, after all I did actually arrange for it and pay for it."